melanesia
Explore 15 foods connected to Vanuatu, from everyday staples to rare local specialties.
Start with Bunia →
The local shortlist
9 editor-selected foods for understanding the place through what people eat.
Open the guide →
The full directory
15 foods in this view. Filter by category, type, rarity, or search every recorded name.
Vanuatu
Communal earth oven feast — meat, fish, and root vegetables wrapped in banana leaves with coconut milk, slow-cooked underground with heated stones; a celebratory dish that brings families and villages together; the smoky, earthy flavour comes from the underground cooking method.
Vanuatu
Vanuatu citrus-baked fish is wrapped in banana leaves with lemon, orange, coconut cream, and seasoning, then roasted until the flesh flakes.
New Caledonia
Unga
Large land crab prized as a delicacy, especially on the outer islands of the Cook Islands; protected in some areas due to declining populations; a rare and sought-after island food.
Vanuatu
Deep-fried doughnut shaped into the number 8, introduced by French and British colonists; often served street snack in Port Vila and Luganville; the name 'huit' is French for eight; a colonial-era introduction that became part of Ni-Vanuatu street food culture.
Papua New Guinea
Bele
Hibiscus spinach (Abelmoschus manihot) is a tender, slightly mucilaginous Pacific leafy green known as bele, aibika, pele, and island cabbage, usually cooked with coconut milk or added to soups and stews.
Pohnpei State (Capital FSM), Fiji
Suhka
Kava is a ceremonial Pacific root beverage prepared by pounding Piper methysticum roots, mixing them with water, and straining the earthy drink for communal sharing.
Vanuatu
Tanna Laplap
Laplap is Vanuatu's grated root-crop or breadfruit mixture, combined with coconut and ordinary meat, fish, or vegetables, wrapped in leaves and baked until dense and tender.
Vanuatu
Laplap sosor is a Malekula laplap variation cooked with a hot volcanic stone in the centre, then served with chicken, onion, tomato, and coconut milk.
Vanuatu
Local nuts from native Vanuatu trees, roasted or boiled and served on skewers; often served Ni-Vanuatu snack with a lightly sweet and crunchy texture; found at local markets, especially Port Vila; the perfect snack to eat after drinking kava.
Vanuatu
Poulet fish is a firm-fleshed Vanuatu reef fish named for its chicken-like bite, commonly grilled or baked with coconut and lime.
Vanuatu
Grated root vegetables (banana, cassava, yam, or taro) or island cabbage leaves rolled into a log shape, wrapped in banana leaves, and simmered in coconut cream; a lighter alternative to laplap, popular in the Shepherd Islands; widely available at market food stalls.
Tanna, Vanuatu
Tanna soup is a hearty Vanuatu pot soup of manioc or taro, vegetables, and chicken or other local protein, sometimes enriched with coconut milk.
Vanuatu
Grated cassava dough wrapped around spiced minced meat (usually beef or pork), then steamed in banana leaves; Vanuatu's ultimate street food snack, resembling a tamale; sold at roadside stalls and markets for 300-500 VUV.
Vanuatu
Tusker is a locally brewed Vanuatu lager served cold in bars, restaurants, and nakamals, where it accompanies island meals and social gatherings.
Vanuatu
Vanuatu coconut cake combines flour, eggs, sugar, butter, and grated coconut in a simple baked dessert with a moist, fragrant crumb.